Select Local Merchants

Kathy, John, Joshua, and Celeste Hayes founded Slice of Georgia Corp. so that other families could experience the homemade, old-fashioned Georgia cuisine that was in the Hayes' blood. Old-fashioned jarred items are Slice of Georgia's specialties. On its shelves, peaches, apple butters, and green-tomato relishes press against jars' glossy glass, and homemade pickles bob in brine.
Receiving praise for a job well done, Slice of Georgia Corp. comes highly recommended by radio stations such as STAR 94FM and KICKS 101.5FM .

Situated on a 1,500 acre parcel of land, The Rock Ranch is dedicated to promoting "agritourism" and educating guests on all all manner of outdoor fun. Beyond the livestock and rolling hills, the 1,500-acre ranch is also home to action-packed, family-friendly activities that include zip line, a cane-pole fishing area, pony rides, and paddle boats. When in season, the fields are lush with blackberries and blueberries, which can be picked by visiting humans or bunnies with ladders.

Epic Bikes stocks a vast inventory of bicycles as well as components, accessories, and apparel. Their full-service, 18-point tune-up and wash makes any species of two-wheeled cycle road-ready. The overhaul begins with a thorough cable and drive-chain cleaning and lubing. Surgical adjustments are made to the tension of the brakes, ensuring riders can stop on a dime, pick it up, and buy a Chiclet without ever dismounting. Derailleurs are inspected and rebuffed to transform sticky gears into smooth shifters, while wobbly wheels undergo a truing process to increase pedal-pumping efficiency and ease momentum retention. Because of the high level of detail involved in today's offered tune-up, customers should plan to be without their trusty rides throughout the approximately 1–3 days of service.

Monica's Kids Consignment stocks a labyrinth of racks and shelves with wallet-friendly selections of new and gently used merchandise. New items arrive each day, adding variety to the rotating supply of shorts ($2.95+), shirts ($1.95+), and child-sized disguises. Parents can keep their pint-sized passengers secure with car seats, and older children may enjoy practicing independence outside on swings, slides, and blow-up bounce toys ($10–$100). In addition to new and gently used children's clothing, the consignment shop carries specialty handmade items including hair bows ($1–$8), hats ($3.99+), and hand-painted plaques ($30). Parents may also opt to have their children's clothes embroidered or monogrammed ($5.99+) to prevent them from trading roles with identical third cousins.

F.A. Seeds' has been churning up quality wood polish and other fine cleansers and conditioners for more than 125 years. Today's deal scores active customers their choice of one of the company's eight highly handy sport-and-leisure kits, all of which come stuffed with specialized products to suit a diverse range of interests. Habitual green-dwellers can keep clubs and accessories in a state of mulligan-less bliss with the caddy pack, which includes leather conditioner, vinyl cleaner, steel polish, and a power detergent. A sporting-dog care kit will help any furry friend look and feel his best with a pack of premium shampoo, conditioner, bug repellent, and leather conditioner for canine-sized accessories. Or, keep a trusty pocket knife in ship-sharp shape with the pocket-and-hunting knife kit, which keeps blades slicing and dicing thanks to honing oil, knife oil, rust eraser, and a whetstone.

Target Portrait Studios are operated by professional photographers who aim to help you capture special moments. The studios can be decorated for most any type of shoot, whether you're celebrating a mom-to-be, a graduation, or an upcoming holiday. Subjects also have the opportunity to choose their own backdrops or props, and they can even bring in their favorite toy or invisible friend. The customization doesn't end with the shoot, though?digital files can be personalized with borders, designs, and quotes and then printed in a variety of sizes.

Groupon Guide

Big box chain stores have made it easy to find cheap, affordable, and trendy clothes. Just like every large city, Atlanta has no shortage of Forever 21s, H&Ms, and Targets. It’s great except that it means if you find a great deal on a cute dress at H&M, chances are so have hundreds of other women. If you want something more unique, the city is brimming with cute clothing boutiques. Decatur, Virginia Highland, and Buckhead have some great, independently-owned boutiques where you can find one-of-a-kind pieces. But uniqueness usually means a big price tag. So where do you go in Atlanta for the most affordable, non-chain store finds? Read on the for some local favorites:
Clothing Warehouse: This vintage shop in the Little Five Points neighborhood is so popular that the owners have opened up other locations throughout the southeast. If the word vintage makes you think of giant bins piled high with grubby, used clothes, then you will be amazed by Clothing Warehouse. The store is open, clean, and merchandised better than most boutiques. You can find super soft t-shirts, denim jackets, and dresses all for under $50. The store also carries a lot of new accessories like sunglasses and giant gold hoop earrings for super cheap. It’s a bit off topic, but if you have a bit more cash, this location has one of the largest collections of used cowboy boots in the city.
Rag-O-Rama: Similar to Clothing Warehouse in the sense that it’s a secondhand store, but for a younger set. You’re not going to find anything that would work in a business-casual setting here, but the prices are cheap. You can find an H&M shirt from the previous season for $10 or less. Rag-O-Rama is also the place to go for statement necklaces and scarves. Skip the cheap sunglasses and costume-y items in the front and head to the accessories on the left side of the store past the register.
Fab’rik: At first glance this boutique looks expensive, but almost every piece of clothing is under $100 - many under $50. You’ll find silk blouses, flowy summer dresses, and affordable footwear. The shop has an online store, but it’s worth going in person for the great customer service. There’s always someone at the shop willing to help you find the perfect outfit and it doesn’t hurt that you’re always offered a chilled beverage while you’re shopping. Fab’rik usually hosts fun in-store events throughout the year including semi annual sales.
Inman Park Dry Goods: One of the newest boutiques in Atlanta and well-worth a visit. Not everything in the shop is cheap, but you can find plenty of affordable, well-curated pieces like structured vegan purses, patterned leggings, colorful scarves, and locally-made jewelry. Dry Goods also carries a cute selection of notecards and housewares that you won’t find anywhere else in town. If that doesn’t entice you, stop by to visit the store’s mascot, Puma, the owner’s french bulldog.
Boutique Warehouse Sale: If all else fails, you can always count on the city-wide, semi-annual Atlanta boutique warehouse sale. Local favorites like Boogaloos Boutique, Squash Blossom, Sandpiper, and Meringue come together for a weekend and sell their end-of-the-season items at dirt-cheap prices. Dates and locations vary every season so just make sure you’re on the mailing lists of your favorite boutiques to get updates.
Happy shopping - and saving!

One facet of Atlanta that may be surprising to some is the enthusiastic and friendly creative community that thrives here. Never in my life have I personally experienced such a positive, enriching community that genuinely wishes success on every single member. The creative community in Atlanta is where Southern Hospitality meets savvy business smarts; it’s where free-spirited ideas meet innovative execution. And through all the mutual uplifting and collaboration comes success to many of these makers-turned-small-business-owners.
One of the successful crafters in Atlanta is Courtney Weil of Crafts and Love Jewelry. Her one-of-a-kind pieces are beautiful and dainty, yet stand out to make a subtle statement in a very unique way. “I create simple pieces of jewelry, but I try to do so with interesting or unusual materials, whether it's a unique cut of gemstone, or a vintage finding, I probably spend the majority of my time shopping and scavenging for materials. ” Courtney shares.
After growing up in Montreal and North Carolina, Courtney’s family settled in North Georgia, which led her to continue her education at Georgia Tech. “Since then,” Courtney shares, “I have fallen slightly in love with Atlanta's big city/small town feel and still haven't had the heart to leave.” So it was a no-brainer for Courtney to start her business in Atlanta.
Courtney has become a staple in the creative community and has even gained close friends through the various market shows and creative events around town. “I adore meeting like-minded creatives in Atlanta! This year was the first year I really partnered with other blogs and brands, and had so much fun working with other creatives,” she says
Courtney started Crafts and Love in 2012 and says she wouldn’t have been this successful without such an inspiring and supportive community. “As soon as I decided to seriously pursue selling jewelry beyond friends and family, there were opportunities waiting for me around every corner. Those opportunities started small, with local craft shows, but the small victories at those shows gave me time to grow and eventually opened more and more doors in town.”
Crafts and Love jewelry has had success in Atlanta, not only due to Courtney’s hard work and eye for design, but also for her fair price point. Courtney says she wants her jewelry accessible to women like herself. “As a 20-something, affordability is an extremely important part of business for me. I want my customers to be able to fall in love with a piece and not be turned away after looking at the price tag.”
Crafts and Love offers one-of-a-kind pieces that are both on trend and exclusively designed—all for an affordable price. Crafts and Love’s newest collection, Versailles, was revealed on January 27, 2013. Shop the collection at www.CraftsandLove.com or stop by The Beehive ,where Courtney works, to shop the collection in person.
All Photos by Johnny Cheng Photography.

There’s nothing better than finding that perfect item and paying close to nothing for it - even if it’s been used before. Sifting through piles of clothes and cracked china is part of the fun when it comes to shopping second-hand stores. Atlanta has no shortage of thrift stores. The city has everything from grungy, warehouse stores to curated, second-hand shops. Here are the ones worth visiting:
Second Life is located in downtown Avondale Estates in a huge, yet very well organized, 5,000 square foot building. It sells housewares and clothes and the owners recently opened up a second furniture store across the parking lot. Stop by the main store and stock up on glassware and great everyday dishes. If you’re looking for a classic coffee table or quirky couch, head across the parking lot to the secondary store. Bonus: a portion of every purchase benefits homeless dogs and cats.
Last Chance Thrift has four locations in Atlanta and no thrift store list would be complete without a mention of LC. This chain of stores is the “grungy, warehouse stores” I mentioned at the beginning of this article. LC is the type of store you visit again and again and then finally find the perfect white, porcelain cat that you’ve been looking for your mantle. Or if you’re looking for giant t-shirts to make t-shirt scarves during a crafternoon project, LC is the place for you. The prices are the lowest you’ll find anywhere.
Take a drive out to the suburbs and mine the Goodwill at Northlake. True story: my sister bought a Bottega Veneta purse at this location for $1.50. Enough said. In the same vein, you can also find some decent designer items at the Goodwill on Roswell Road.
Finders Keepers is by far the best second-hand shop(s) in Atlanta. There are four locations each with a different focus: fashions, boutique, menswear, and furnishings. These aren’t thrift stores, they’re second-hand stores, which means the prices aren’t the lowest in town. Nevertheless, you’ll still find great deals in these well-curated stores. The fashion shop carries brands like Banana Republic and J. Crew while the boutique in Decatur has designer items by the likes of Roberto Cavalli and Derek Lam. The furnishing shop carries a mix of traditional and mid-century items and rotates its inventory regularly.
Lucky Exchange has been an Atlanta favorite second-hand shop for years. It’s located in Midtown in a tiny storefront right next to Papis. The inventory is well organized and refreshed frequently. The men’s section has army surplus shirts and brands like Original Penguin. The women’s section has plenty of fun, vintage-y party dresses and funky jewelry. Head to the back of the store for the clearance and sales items first.
Honorable Mention:
Rag-o-Rama and Buffalo Exchange offer secondhand clothing for the Urban Outfitters set. The prices are reasonable, but more expensive than thrift stores and Lucky Exchange.